PARENT'S CORNER
A Selection of Informative Articles for Parents

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Inside the ADD Mind The Causes of Brain Dysfunction By Dr. Mark Goldenberg, Pathways to Learning, Norwalk CT Picture yourself walking into the lobby of a hotel to wait for a friend. Music is playing in the back round, a movie is being shown on a monitor, and there are some people talking. There is a table with some magazines and today’s newspaper. Let’s throw in a bird cage in the corner with a cockatiel… Click here to read more...

Why Residential Summer Camp? Because Camp Teaches Important Skills that School Does Not By Mercedes Rolandelli, owner-director River Edge Farm Riding Camp Residential summer camp provides a very unique experience with the distinct ability to retain your child’s youthful spirit while simultaneously developing his/her maturity level and independence. Summer camp is a child’s dream—active days in the outdoors, fun filled nights-- surrounded at all .. Click here to read more...

When does 1 + 1 = 3? When Kinesthetic Learning is Incorporated into Cognitive Learning By Franklin Canosa, Director, Tumble Bugs / USAG, Norwalk CT In school your children learn cognitively (i.e. math, reading, science, writing, etc.) On the playground your children learn kinesthetically (i.e. how to hit a baseball, how to kick a soccer ball, how to run, climb, etc.) As researchers understand how learning occurs they are surprised to find that .. Click here to read more...

Let Kids Do the Math in their Minds Ancient Abacus is the Hot "New" Tool in Math Visualization By Venkatesh Brahmadesam, Director, ALOHA of Fairfield Cty, Darien CT Turn on your computer. Binary numbers made up of bits and bytes run your computer's programs. A quick Google search gives you a list of Italian restaurants that you could choose from for dinner. A complex formula had scoured the internet.. Click here to read more...

How to Evaluate and Select a Camp Expanding Your Child's Horizons By Geoff Alswanger, Director, Long Ridge Camp, Stamford CT Selecting a Camp can be a challenge in today's time-pressed world. However, this decision should be taken with care as camps have the ability to help provide children with a special foundation in sports, arts and social skills. Click here to read more...

Supporting Your Child's Emotional Development Helping your child learn to express their emotions in healthy ways By Ellen Swan, Director, Parenting In Action, Fairfield CT Children's emotional development can be directly related to how adults speak to and treat children and how their feelings are either honored or dishonored by others. Click here to read more...

When Should My Child Start Music Lessons? A Music Teacher's Perspective By Amy Shinohara, Hearts and Minds Music, Ridgefield CT Many parents instinctively feel that music will be of great benefit to their child's growth and development but may not be able to articulate why. Research, however, has proven that music is one of the few activities in life that stimulates both sides of the brain. Click here to read more...

How We Learn from "the Bard" Shakespeare for All Ages by Clista Townsend, The Enchanted Garden, Wilton CT There is much too learn from the plays of William Shakespeare, and it is not just for adults. Young people who play Shakespeare characters are thrust into a process of self-discovery. Most of all, they learn from the "Bard" what it means to be human. Click here to read more...

What About Boys and ADHD? Was Your Child Born with a Name AND a Diagnosis? By Ingrid Wright, LCSW, CSW, R - Serving Fairfield & Westchester County, & NYC Is every child born with a name and a diagnosis these days? Few diagnosis are as controversial as ADHD and yet it is widely used for our boys growing up today. Do these boys really have an issue or are we suppressing the nature of boys as well as saturating them with a highly stimulated as well as rigid society? Click here to read more...

"DO YOU CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS?" If YOU don't ask, your child may be at risk. By members of the Center for Youth Leadership at Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk CT When enrolling a child in an after-school enrichment or sports program, a mentoring program, or a summer camp most parents ask about the typical things: the types of activities available, the ratio of staff to children, the snacks that are served, and the cost of the program. What do many parents NOT ask? Click here to read more...

To Yell or Not To Yell Alternatives to Yelling at your Children By Ingrid Wright LCSW, CSW, Family Psychotherapist, Stamford, CT & New York City The Scholastic Children's Dictionary defines yelling as "shouting, crying out or screamingly loudly". When we look at the definition in simple children's language we are able to recognize that this is perhaps not the best way to communicate to our children as well as for our general health. Click here to read more...

Choosing the Method of Adoption that is Right for You Questions & Answers to Help You Decide Between Domestic and International Adoption By Debbie Schwartz, Co-President, Hudson Chapter, Adoptive Parents Committee, Inc., Serving CT, NY & NJ The adoption process can seem overwhelming, especially at the beginning, when prospective parents are often bombarded with "helpful" friends and family insisting that they know the "best" way to adopt a child. The truth? Click here to read more...

Why Are Dinosaurs So Popular With Kids? For Seven Very Good Reasons. By Leslie Freund, Founder, Dinosaurs Rock! Montebello, NY We all know a child who's a dinosaur fanatic. One that can't pronounce his (or her) own name, but can say, without hesitation, multi-syllabic names like Protoceratops and Giganotosaurus.. A child that craves every book, toy and kit remotely related to these prehistoric creatures. The bottom line? Children are obsessed with dinosaurs. Click here to read more...

Party and Event Planning Guide Great Birthday Party Themes and How to Plan your Neighborhood Block Party By the editors at KidsEvents.com, Serving Fairfield and Westchester County It's not always easy to plan your kids' birthday parties & other special events, but KidsEvents.com is here to help parents living in Westchester County NY and Fairfield County CT. Check out all the local party resources we've put together for you and your children. Click here to read more...

Does Your Child Suffer from Party Indecision? Tips on what to do when your child can't make up their mind. By Cathy Blood, Co-Founder KidsEvents.com, Greenwich, CT My son turned 10 over seven months ago and we've yet to celebrate his birthday. Oh, we've had the "family cake" of course, but besides that, nothing has happened. What could possibly be keeping him from making up his mind about what kind of party to have? Click here to read more...

The Suzuki Method - What is it? An Approach Based on how Children Learn Language. By Heather Watson, Director, Greenwich Suzuki Academy, Greenwich, CT Shinichi Suzuki developed his method after World War II in an effort to enrich children's lives through music. He was amazed that children worldwide could all speak their mother tongue freely and effortlessly. He based his approach to musical education on the manner in which we learn language. Click here to read more...

Party Entertainers: To Tip or Not to Tip Insights from an Experienced Local Entertainer. By Paul Mordoff, Owner, Pongo the Clown LLC & Party Talent, Norwalk, CT Many parents wonder if they should tip a performer or not. A tip is always appropriate if you feel that the performer did a quality job, but not expected. If the performer kept the children's attention, interacted well with everyone, arrived on time and was pleasant to work with, a tip is a nice gesture. Click here to read more...

Stimulating Imaginations and Learning Why Kids Embrace Technology. By Megan Horner, Manager, ID Tech Camps, Fairfield & Westchester County Learning programming languages like C++, Java or HTML and producing digital movies might sound intimidating to those of us who grew up using a typewriter and listening to records. Not so though for Arthur Bailin and others from Fairfield, Greenwich, Stamford, Ridgefield, and throughout Connecticut. Click here to read more...

Going Out? What your Sitter Should Know Safety tips to protect your family while you are away from home. By Suzanne Stillwell, Owner, Sitting Service of Fairfield County, Darien, CT In ADDITION to the location and phone number where you will be, have the following information written down and readily accessible in the event of an emergency. Click here to read more...

Overcoming a Fear of Clowns Hints from a Professional Clown. By Paul Mordoff, Owner, Pongo the Clown LLC & Party Talent, Norwalk, CT It is very common for young children to be afraid of costumed characters like clowns and cartoon characters. When a child is around two, it is hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality. It is also surprisingly true that many adults are afraid of clowns also. Click here to read more...

Preparing for Battle How to set yourself up for a successful trip to the grocery store - with kids. By Cathleen Blood, Co-Founder, KidsEvents.com, Riverside, CT Make sure they've: eaten, gone to the bathroom, and have had a drink. Then bring another snack and drink with you to the store or you'll end up opening half the food in the wagon before you even get to the checkout counter. Click here to read more...

Teachable Moments at the Grocery Store How to turn a trip to the store into valuable "life lessons" for your children. By Cathleen Blood, Co-Founder, KidsEvents.com, Riverside, CT I'm standing in the cookie aisle watching in resigned silence as my normally rational three year-old makes a perilous third attempt to reach the top shelf. Her goal? A package of Mallomars I stashed out of her reach and repeatedly told her she couldn't have. An instant before my little mountain goat attains her heart's desire, I pluck her from the shelves. Click here to read more...